Origin Energy | Automated Wash and Quarantine Facility

Automated weed and seed quarantine wash system to reduce operational downtime

Origin Energy was experiencing significant operational inefficiency due to weed and seed contamination occurring on vehicle axles during field operations. The process of diverting vehicles to a remote cleaning station resulted in high costs, increased downtime, and potential non-compliance with biosecurity regulations. To address this challenge, Remote Water Treatment Services (RWTS) partnered with FKG Group to deliver a fully integrated, automated cleaning facility designed to minimise disruption and reduce running costs

RWTS engineered and delivered a 24/7 automated wash and quarantine facility, strategically located to streamline vehicle movements and eliminate the need for offsite diversions.

The facility design included:

• Automated vehicle wash system with continuous operation capability
• Integrated water reclamation technology, enabling 100% water recovery and reuse
• Engineering considerations to support high-frequency fleet usage with minimal manual intervention
• Design optimisation to comply with weed and seed quarantine requirements and biosecurity standards

By offering an on-site facility, RWTS eliminated the requirement for vehicles to travel to distant cleaning locations, significantly reducing operational downtime and cost.

Outcome

The solution delivered the following benefits:

• Reduction in vehicle movement inefficiencies through on-site wash capability
• Lower operating costs by eliminating the need for remote cleaning location usage
• Improved compliance with weed and seed containment requirements
• 24/7 system availability, increasing workflow continuity
• Full water reuse achieved through RWTS water recovery system

Innovation Highlight

A key success factor in this project was RWTS’ capacity to customise a high-availability automated wash system that delivered both environmental and operational efficiency. The ability to fully reclaim and recycle water positioned this solution as a sustainable, high-performance alternative to conventional wash facilities.

Summary

RWTS designed, constructed and delivered an automated quarantine wash facility that improved operational efficiency for Origin Energy, eliminated unnecessary vehicle diversions, and achieved a 100% water recovery rate. Through strong collaboration with FKG Group, RWTS implemented a sustainable, scalable solution that aligned with Origin’s environmental and logistical priorities.